West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-05-13

State issues, out upon general ques-
tions affecting the interests of the
whole country, and upon these ques-
tions it is the duty of the Democrats
of Kentucky to speak their senti
ments in order that their brethren
| everywhere may know where they
stand. Fortunately our organiza-
ton is not confined to any one sec
ton of the country; our creed is not
affected by degrees of latitude or
longitude. 1t is not necessary for a
Kentucky Democrat when he visits
the North or East, or for a Northern
or Eastern Democrat when he visits
kentucky, to disguise his opinions
or apologize for them. What he is
at home he is everywhere. No man
who seeks honor ut the hands OF the
Democracy would venture to say In
the North what he would not say in
the South, or IN the South what he
would not say in the North. He
could not have one set of political
opinions for use in Tennessee and
another for use in Ohio-one for
Virginia and another for Maine. We
are not embarrassed, therefore, by
our locality or by our relations to
political friends elsewhere, and even
If we were, we should not hesitate to
declare our honest convictions. III
we believe that taxes should be i'm
posed for public purposes only, and
that the expenditures OF the Govern
ment should be reduced TO the very
lowest point compatible with tile
maintenance of efficient pubic SER
vice so that the burdens Of the peo-
pie may be made as light as posi-
bic. let us say so. and not destroy
the meaning or weaken the force of
our declaration by a multiplicity of
words, or a long array of ambiguous
phrases. If we believe that the tax
es should be reduced or abolished
upon the necessaries of life, rather
than upon luxuries, let us say so;
and upon every other subject on
which we consider it necessary or
proper to express an opinion, wheth-
er it be q State or Federal ques
tion-whether it be question OF
principle or question Of policy
let us be equally clear and explicit
The question of Federal taxation,
however, is one which demands the
immediate attention OF the peoples
representatives, and it is one, there
fore, upon which the people them
selves cannot afford to be silent.
Although cur matured Indebtedness
is nearly discharged and there is
considerable surplus IN the Treas
ury, the people are making forced
contributions to the Government To
the amount Of about one million dol
lars each day, and under existing
laws they must continue To do so.
Unless the revenues shall be prompt
ly reduced, the earnings of the peo-
pie, taken from them bv unnecessary
and unjust taxation, will accumulate
IN the hands of the Government and
be boarded in the vaults of the
Treasury at the rate OF not less than
$l0,000,000 per month, and it re.
quires no gift of prophecy to toresee
that this must inevitably produce
monetary crisis which will paralyze
all business enterprises, throw labor
out of employment and bring disas-
ter upon all the industrial interests
of the country. If the revenues are
not reduced there are but two ways
in which these results can be avoid
ed. One way is to use this surplus
in the purchase Of outstanding, un-
matured bonds at a high premium
at any price in fact which the
holders of those securities may see
proper to demand for them. The
other way is to inauguratc system
Of unnecessary and eXtrayagant ex-
penditurc by the government, and
thus get the money of the people
back into the channels of trade.
There are many Of us who believe
that a large part OF this money,
every dollar Of it, in fact, which is
not necessary to deIray the legiti-
mate expenses Of the government
and meet its just obligations, ought
to be left in the hands Of the people
who earn it by their labor and by
their skill in the prosecution Of Iheir
business. We deny that the Coy
eminent has a moral or legal right
to take one dollar Of the peoples
money unless it is necessary for a
proper public purpose; we deny the
wisdom and justice Of the policy
which imposes taxes upon one part
Of the people simply for the purpose
of enabling another part to realize
larger profits in their private bust
ness; and we insist that the FREEDOM
nance Of this unwise and unjust pol
icy in our revenue and financial sys-
tens has heretofore constituted and
still constitutes, the principal, if not
the only, obstacle in the way Of
proper reduction Of taxation. If it
were not for this policy no public
man in the country would be so
reckless rs to contend for the impo
sition of taxes upon the people be
yond the actual necessities Of the
Government.
The Democratic party stands
..I.l .-oI =. tIn rnncf cnlntnr rnnnnnr